About St. Joseph Health

SJH provides a full range of care facilities including 16 acute care hospitals,
home health agencies, hospice care, outpatient services, skilled nursing
facilities, community clinics and physician groups. All of our hospital
and home health entities are accredited by the Joint Commission. In our
award-winning facilities, SJH maintains a "continuum of care," matched
to the diverse needs of the urban centers, smaller cities and rural communities
who depend on us every day.

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5 Surprising Activities That Prematurely Age You

If you want to stay as young as possible mentally and physically –
and who doesn’t? – you need to plan ahead. Ensuring you don’t
grow old before your time means avoiding obvious pitfalls—high blood
pressure, smoking, obesity—but it also means thinking about seemingly
harmless behaviors that could age you. If you’re interested in staying
as young as possible for as long as possible, consider avoiding these habits:

Putting Off Time with Friends. Being with friends can keep you feeling young – and even extend
your life. Studies show that people with strong social ties generally
live longer, and close friendships are a particularly significant factor
in the lifespan of people who live to be 100 or more. Friendship can also
help prevent depression, obesity and heart disease. Nourish your friendships
the way you nourish your body, and you’ll lead a longer, fuller life.

Yo-Yo Dieting. Trying to shed extra pounds in a short amount of time usually means one
thing: those pounds will come right back. Getting stuck on a cycle of
weight gain and weight loss can make you look and feel older, sapping
your energy, frustrating you, and creating wrinkles in areas where your
skin isn’t elastic enough to adjust to the ups and downs. Slow and
steady is the key to long-term victory in the diet race.

Wearing High Heels.
They may look gorgeous, but rocking those pumps can have serious side
effects that last long after you’ve taken them off. From ingrown
toenails and bunions to arthritis of the knee and lower back pain, high
heels create chronic foot and posture issues caused by the strain on your
toes and spine.. If you wear them for a long time, high heels can lead
to painful muscle spasms in the calves and Achilles tendons. Go easy on
the stilettos--the lower the heel, the more evenly your weight is spread
over the foot. Stay away from heels if you know you’re going to
be standing for long periods, and stretch your feet often during the day.

Browsing in the Bedroom. The screens of smartphones, tablets, and similar devices shine with a
bluish light that interferes with your body’s levels of melatonin,
a hormone that regulates your sleep cycle. When you surf the internet
in bed, your brain can be fooled into thinking it’s daytime instead
of sleep time, disrupting your ability to get to slumber land. If you
don’t get the sleep you need, you aren’t going to perform
at your peak and you’re likely to feel irritable. For a better night’s
rest that keeps your mind young, leave the electronics in the living room,
or install a blue light filter app if you must text or browse.

Blowing Up Behind the Wheel. One of the unavoidable parts of driving is dealing with the mistakes and
discourtesies of other drivers. But when they won’t let you pass,
it’s better to let it pass. Research has linked a willingness to
forgive with better physical health and longevity, and the benefits of
coping with a stressful situation in a positive way include less anxiety
and lower blood pressure. Resolve to keep an even keel the next time that
other car cuts you off.

The general information presented by HealthCalling is not intended to serve
as medical advice or as a diagnosis. Please get in touch with your primary
care physician for any medical concerns. For suggested topics and comments
on our stories, please connect with us via our
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